Welcome to The Daily’s live blog of this afternoon’s Homecoming game between No. 13 Stanford (5-1, 3-1 Pac-12) and No. 9 UCLA (5-0, 2-0) at Stanford Stadium. We’ll be updating this page all afternoon with live coverage and analysis. Please refresh this page throughout the afternoon for the most recent updates and follow us on Twitter @StanfordSports for more coverage. All times are Pacific.

 

3:42 PM: No. 13 defeats No. 9 UCLA 24-10. We’ll have a recap up shortly. Thanks for joining us!

3:41 PM: Hundley gets sacked by Murphy, and that’s the ball game.

3:40 PM: Kevin Anderson deflects Hundley’s pass. 37 seconds left.

3:38 PM: Gardner sacks Hundley for a loss of 4. Good to see the fifth-year senior defensive end come back into the game.

3:36 PM: That should do it. Stanford has two-possession lead with less than 2 minutes left, and UCLA is out of timeouts.

3:35 PM: Gaffney finds the end zone from 3 yards out. Ukropina’s extra point attempt is GOOD, and Stanford ices the game with a 24-10 lead with 1:42 left in the game.

3:35 PM: Gaffney plows ahead for 11 yards. Power. Power Power. 2:17 left on the clock.

3:33 PM: Gaffney the workhorse. Another 7-yard gain. Stanford now well within field goal range. UCLA uses its final timeout.

3:32 PM: Gaffney straight ahead for a FIRST DOWN. Ball at the Bruins 20. Jim Mora forced to use his second timeout. 2:29 left on the clock.

3:32 PM: Stanford could ice the game with a first down.

3:32 PM: Gaffney gets 3 yards on the carry. Bruins use their first timeout.

3:30 PM: Hundley’s pass is INTERCEPTED by Richards. That’s Richards’ second interception of the day. Stanford gets the ball at the UCLA 32-yard line.

3:30 PM: Hundley forced to throw it away after getting flushed out of the pocket. Third-and-10.

3:30 PM: Hundley’s pass across the middle is incomplete.

3:29 PM: We predicted two straight runs. Well, turns out Stanford runs for a third time despite it being third-and-6. UCLA gets the ball back its own 23-yard line. Shaw has a LOT of confidence in his defense.

3:28 PM: Two more yards from Gaffney.

3:27 PM: Gaffney picks up 2 yards on the carry.

3:26 PM: Wondering what Stanford is going to do on this drive. Two straight runs, and then hope to God that the offense can convert a third-and-short? We’ll see.

3:24 PM: No return on the short punt. Stanford gets the ball back at its own 32-yard line.

3:23 PM: Cardinal defense forces an incompletion and then holds UCLA to a 2-yard gain on a short pass. Tarpley comes up clutch in pass coverage once again. Cardinal defense not backing down, forcing a three-and-out.

3:22 PM: After a 8-yard reception, UCLA tries to run the no huddle, but ends up getting backed up 5 yards with a false start.

3:21 PM: Bruins get the ball back at their 29-yard line.

3:19 PM: Ukropina’s 46-yard field goal is NO GOOD. Had the distance, but the location wasn’t even close. The score remains Stanford 17, UCLA 10 with 6:24 left in the fourth quarter.

3:18 PM: Wilkerson gets the ball again, but is stopped for a no gain.

3:18 PM: Hogan finds Montgomery near the sideline for a nice 10-yard pickup. Third-and-3 at the Bruins 29-yard line.

3:18 PM: Stanford mixes it up by giving the ball to Wilkerson, but he’s dropped for a loss of 3 yards.

3:17 PM: Gaffney starting to carry the offense on his back as he picks up 4 yards, just enough for the first down. That’s Gaffney’s fifth 100-yard game of the season.

3:16 PM: A great cutback by Gaffney allows him to pick up 11. Second-and-4 now.

3:15 PM: Holding penalty moves Cardinal back to the Cardinal 48-yard line. First-and-15.

3:13 PM: Gaffney picks up 17 yards on the draw. Offensive line opened up a small hole and that’s all Gaffney needed to squirt throw. First-and-10 at the Bruins 47-yard line.

3:12 PM: Back-to-back carries by Gaffney bring up third-and-2.

3:11 PM: The crowd cheers in support as Cajuste heads into the locker room on a golf cart.

3:10 PM: Sanders fair catches the ball at the Cardinal’s own 29-yard line.

3:09 PM: Hundley’s pass down the left sideline falls incomplete. Great job by the Cardinal defense to force Hundley out of the pocket, but not let him run down the field. Very low percentage play there.

3:08 PM: Great open-field tackle by Richards to hold on the screen pass to no gain. Big third-and-10 coming up.

3:07 PM: Following a 5-yard run, a false start penalty moves UCLA 5 yards to bring up second-and-10.

3:06 PM: Bruins will set up shop at their own 30-yard line.

3:05 PM: Hogan’s pass intended for Pratt falls incomplete. Three-and-out for Stanford as Rhyne comes out to punt.

3:04 PM: Cajuste limps towards the sidelines with help. Hogan loses a big target in the middle of the field if Cajuste doesn’t come back.

3:02 PM: Hogan finds Cajuste for a 5-yard gain. Cajuste is down on the ground now. Instant replay showed that Cajuste went for his right knee right after getting hit.

3:01 PM: Minimal gain by Gaffney. Second-and-9. Stanford spreading out the field in shotgun formation.

3:01 PM: Stanford sets up shop at is own 25-yard line for its first drive of the fourth quarter.

2:59 PM: Looks like the Bruins offense is finally opening up now, so Stanford will definitely need to drive down the field a couple more times this quarter.

2:59 PM: Hundley finds Evans in the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown. The extra point attempt is GOOD, and UCLA cuts into Stanford’s lead, 17-10.

2:57 PM: Stanford prevented the Bruins from exploding in the third quarter, but there’s a lot of football left to be played. Cardinal can get conservative on either side of the ball, like it did against Arizona State and Washington.

2:55 PM: Hundley and Payton hook up again on a screen that goes for 7 yards. First-and-goal for the Bruins at the Stanford 3-yard line. That’s the end of the third quarter. Stanford leads UCLA 17-3.

2:54 PM: Hundley finds Devin Fuller for another first down. Bruins threatening at the Cardinal 11.

2:53 PM: Gardner down on the ground for a while. Now he’s walking back to the sideline. Blake Leuders comes in to replace Gardner.

2:51 PM: Hundley finds Payton for 14 yards. UCLA at the Cardinal 33-yard line now.

2:51 PM: Hundley converts yet another third down, this time with his feet. Not really Stanford’s fault that time. Just a great 6-yard run by the Bruins quarterback.

2:50 PM: Hundley converts a third-and-12 with a bullet to Evans. Gain of 14 out to the UCLA 40.

2:49 PM: Hundley has all kinds of time, but has no where to throw the ball to as Stanford drops back defenders back in coverage. Trent Murphy takes down Hundley for an 8-yard sack. One of the few times today that Hundley has failed to escape a pursuing defender.

2:48 PM: Ukropina’s kick goes for a touchback. Hundley back out on the field after that costly interception.

2:44 PM: And the play stands. You couldn’t really tell where the ball is in all of the replay angles that we got in the press box. Ukropina’s PAT is GOOD, and Stanford leads UCLA 17-3 with 3:33 left in the third quarter.

2:43 PM: Stanford only needs one shot, as Gaffney punches it in from 1-yard out. Play is under review.

2:41 PM: A pitch to Gaffney and another Gaffney carry combine for just one yard. Third-and-goal at the Bruins 1-yard line. Pretty sure Stanford will try to run it in two times if it needs to.

2:40 PM: Are you kidding me? Cajuste hauls in Hogan’s pass on third-and-6. Stanford receivers are playing out of their minds this half. First-and-goal at the UCLA 2-yard line.

2:38 PM: Jordan Richards intercepts Hundley and runs it back for a touchdown. Block-in-the-back penalty will bring it back though. Still, a big takeaway by Richards to give Stanford the ball at the UCLA 40. That’s also 32 straight games that Stanford has forced at least one turnover. Let’s see if Stanford will use the momentum to take a shot into the endzone off play action.

2:37 PM: Seven-yard screen pass and then fumble on the snap bring up third-and-7 for the Bruins.

2:36 PM: Ukropina squib kicks it, and UCLA will take over at its own 24-yard line.

2:34 PM: That’s also Whitfield’s first career touchdown, by the way. Not a bad first at all.

2:31 PM: What a leaping catch by Whitfield! Hogan finds Whitfield in the endzone for a 30-yard touchdown. Just an unbelievable catch. The safety help was late on that play, and Whitfield somehow managed to hold on to the ball. After review, the play is confirmed. Ukropina’s PAT is GOOD, and Stanford now leads UCLA 10-3 with 7:27 left in the third quarter.

2:30 PM: Young had no chance on that sweep. Barr barrel fast his guy and takes down Young for a loss of 8.

2:28 PM: Hogan finds Montgomery on a post, and the receiver just muscles his away ahead for 6-8 more yards. It’s a 29-yard completion, but Montgomery is walking of the field a bit gingerly. Hope he’s okay because the Cardinal will certainly need him this half.

2:28 PM: Offensive line starting to open up some big holes now. Gaffney gets a lot of space to work with and picks up 13 yards out to near midfield.

2:27 PM: Stanford doesn’t get cute. Gaffney plows ahead to move the chains. Stanford at its own 36-yard line.

2:27 PM: Gaffney picks up 4 more. Third-and-1.

2:26 PM: The Cardinal offense opens up the second half like it opened up the first half. Gaffney pics up 5 yards on the power run.

2:24 PM: Ka’imi Fairbairn, who missed what would have been the game-tying field in the Pac-12 Championship Game last year, splits the uprights. The 38-yard field goal attempt is GOOD, and the game is all tied up at 3 with 11:02 left in the third quarter.

2:24 PM: Stanford dials up a blitz, and Hundley is forced to throw it away.

2:23 PM: Wow. Skov is an animal. Explodes into the backfield and takes down Hundley for a 6-yard loss. What a great matchup between those two. Third-and-14.

2:22 PM: Hundley picks up 14 yards on another quarterback keeper. Hundley dropped back and then immediately took off after seeing a big hole. Cardinal defense need to contain him better than that.

2:19 PM: The Bruins backup left guard appears to be hurt and is walking off the field. UCLA’s already-thin offensive line depth taking yet another big hit.

2:18 PM: Malcom Jones is held for no gain. Second-and-10 at the Stanford 32-yard line.

2:17 PM: For the first time, Hundley is able to break contain and pick up 30 yards with his feet. He was due for his weekly big run. The Cardinal hopes that big run will be the last one today.

2:17 PM: Two small gains brings up third-and-6 at the UCLA 39-yard line.

2:16 PM: Bruins convert third-and-5 as Hundley finds Thomas Duarte on a 5-yard out route.

2:15 PM: Bruins left tackle Simon Goines leaves the field with help. His backup is a freshman on an offensive line that already has two starting true freshman.

2:14 PM: Hundley gets hit hard as he throws the ball deep downfield. A Bruins receiver burned cornerback Wayne Lyons on that play, but the ball was overthrown. Amazing how Hundley stayed alive for that long to get the ball off.

2:13 PM: The Bruins starts the third quarter with the ball at their own 5-yard line.

2:07 PM: An important statistic to keep in mind: UCLA has outscored its opponents 71-0 in the third quarter this season, which means that the Bruins have made some pretty good halftime adjustments. UCLA will get the ball to start the second half, so we’ll see if the Cardinal defense can continue its lights out play from the first half.

2:05 PM: Hogan has also played well so far, but big mistakes by Montgomery and Cajuste prevented Stanford from heading into the locker room with what could have been a 17-0 lead. He’s been a lot more effective at scrambling than he was in the last two games, and if his receivers can give him a little more help, the Cardinal should be able to move the ball better in the second half.

2:00 PM: Even by its own high standards, the Cardinal defense has played exceptionally well in the first half. Hundley had nowhere to go on the ground or in the air, and the cornerbacks have been setting a hard edge against the outside runs. A dark horse Heisman candidate, Hundley is only 5-of-10 passing for 37 yards and picked up only 8 yards on 3 carries.

1:50 PM: Hundley will take a kneel to run out the clock. Stanford leads UCLA 3-0 at halftime.

1:49 PM: Hogan’s pass hits Cajuste right in the chest, but it bounces off into the hands of a Bruins cornerback Ishmael Adams. That’s the first turnover of the game. 

1:46 PM: Defensive holding penalty bails out Hogan, who danced around in the pocket and got sacked for what would’ve been a 10-yard loss. Instead, Stanford a first-and-10 at the Bruins 23-yard line.

1:46 PM: Gaffney picks up the first down on the draw.

1:45 PM: Hogan goes back to Whitfield. This time, it’s complete for 9 yards.

1:44 PM: Hogan had plenty of time, but overthrows a wide open Kodi Whitfield.

1:44 PM: Hogan finds Cajuste down the seam for a 19-yard gain. Less than 2 minutes left in the first half now. Stanford at the Bruins 44-yard line now.

1:43 PM: The Cardinal does. Out of the elephant package, Gaffney plows ahead for 2 yards to move the sticks.

1:42 PM: Hogan finds a tight end! Charlie Hopkins collects a 6-yard reception. Third-and-1. Will Shaw run it here?

1:42 PM: Seale gets a hard-fought three yards.

1:41 PM: Working out of a split-back formation, Hogan finds Cajuste for 11 yards. First-and-ten at the Stanford 26-yard line.

1:40 PM: Gaffney gains 4 yards on the carry. The Cardinal has been opening the playbook a bit with a jet sweep to Young, but it hasn’t gotten things going since the field goal drive early in the first quarter.

1:38 PM: A holding penalty called on Stanford during the punt return backs up the Cardinal to its own 11-yard line. Sanders also fumbled the ball, but recovered it before the Bruins players could get there. With 4:44 left in the first half, let’s see if the Cardinal can put up some more points on the board in a game where neither offenses have been moving the ball consistently.

1:36 PM: Cardinal defense just swarming to the ball right now. Steven Manfro had nowhere to go on the haflback sweep and gets gang-tackled for a 3-yard loss. As usual, Skov has been all over the field making tackles.

1:35 PM: Booming punt by Rhyne gives UCLA the ball back at its own 14-yard line.

1:34 PM: Seale gets just 1 yard on the third down carry. Not sure why Stanford decided to run there since it was third-and-5 and the short passing game has been there for the Cardinal so far.

1:33 PM: Gaffney picks up 8 yards to bring up a manageable third down.

1:32 PM: Kelsey Young gets his first touch of the day with a jet sweep. He picked up enough yards for the first down, but block-below-the-knee penalty called on Ryan Hewitt negates the play. Second-and-13 at the Cardinal 24-yard line.

1:32 PM: Stanford is lined up in the Wildcat formation.

1:31 PM: Sanders uses his signature spin move to pick up 7 yards.

1:31 PM: The offensive line has also neutralized Barr for the most part, so that’s a great sign.

1:29 PM: In the past two weeks, Hogan had some trouble finding receivers when the defense drops seven-eight guys backs in coverage, but he’s played well so far. The junior is 8-of-12 passing for 73 yards.

1:28 PM: Hundley’s pass on third down intended for Evans falls incomplete. Cardinal defense has been playing lights out so far. Hundley has no where to throw the ball on most passing plays, and when he’s taken off, the defenders have been there with him, step-for-step. Stanford will get the ball back at its own 25-yard line after a 5-yard return by Sanders.

1:25 PM: Luke Kaumatule in at defensive end for Stanford. He ran right past the offensive lineman, but couldn’t quite keep up with Hundley’s moves. Still, not a bad first play on defense for Kaumatule. Shaw wasn’t kidding when he said that Kaumatule can bull-rush.

1:23 PM: Coverage unit follows up Rhyne’s beautiful 48-yard punt by taking down Shaquelle Evans at the UCLA 15 for a -5 yard return. Special teams coming up big again for Stanford today, even if Montgomery hasn’t busted a big return…yet.

1:22 PM: Gaffney gets back to the original line of scrimmage, but Hogan’s screen pass to him isn’t enough to convert third-and-10. Conservative play calling by Shaw there.

1:21 PM: Remound Wright has no where to go and is taken down for a 4-yard loss. Linebacker Anthony Barr exploded into the backfield to wrap up Wright.

1:2o PM: Hogan finds Cajuste for a 13-yard gain. Stanford declined offsides penalty called on the Bruins.

1:19 PM: After his earlier miscue, Montgomery bounces back with an impressive 4-yard screen on the screen. Initial contact by a defender was made well behind the line of  scrimmage, but Montgomery fought through it and then tiptoed down the sideline for 4 more yards.

1:18 PM: Gaffney cuts it to the inside from the shotgun formation for another 4-yard gain. Gaffney might have had picked up more yards if he bounced to the outside. Third-and-2.

1:18 PM: The Cardinal does exactly just that. Gaffney picks up 4 yards to bring up second-and-6.

1:16 PM: Nice punt by Bruins punter Sean Covington to pin the Cardinal at its own 4-yard line. Dangerous situation for Stanford’s offense right now. Probably will run a couple times to give Hogan more breathing room on third down.

1:15 PM: Skov makes amends for his earlier penalty by making a nice open-field tackle on Hundley, who made two defenders miss before that. With the ball at the Stanford 36-yard line, UCLA chooses to punt it away.

1:11 PM: Short pass to Paul Perkins on the jet sweep picks up 8 yards. Big third-and-7 coming up.

1:10 PM: Damien Thigpen taken down for a 5-yard loss, and that’s the end of the first quarter. Stanford leads UCLA 3-0 in what has been a defensive battle so far.

1:09 PM: Roughing-the-passer penalty called on Shayne Skov gives Bruins 15 free yards. Close call there. Nonetheless, nice pass coverage by linebackers AJ Tarpley and Kevin Anderson on that play.

1:08 PM: Quick screen pass to Devin Fuller gives Bruins 10 yards and a first down. UCLA starting to utilize that short passing game now that the Cardinal defense has been taking away the read option.

1:08 PM: Hundley picks up 5 yards  on the quarterback keeper. Just another example of how the electric quarterback made something out of nothing.

1:07 PM: Ukropina’s 31-yard field goal splits the uprights and Stanford leads UCLA 3-0 with 1:08 left in the first quarter.

1:06 PM: Hogan finds Montgomery on a screen and then throws an incomplete pass intended for Whitfield (wouldn’t have been a touchdown anyways). Wilkerson’s mistake forces Stanford to settle for a field goal attempt.

1:05 PM: Hogan pitches the ball to Wilkerson, who fumbles the ball. Luckily, Stanford somehow recovered that despite there being two Bruin defenders chasing the ball. Costly mistake though, because it forces the Cardinal into a tough second-and-20 situation.

1:04 PM: Hogan finds Cajuste in the middle of the field once again for 24-yards . First-and-goal at the UCLA 10.

1:03 PM: Ten-yard holding penalty on Bruins moves the Cardinal down to the Bruins 34-yard line.

1:02 PM: Hogan bounces to the outside to pickup yet another first down. Looked like Bruins defenders were about to bottle him up for a loss, but he used his deceptive speed to get out to the edge.

1:01 PM: Hogan finds Devon Cajuste and then Jordan Pratt (15-yard reception) to move the chains. That’s the intermediate passing game that’s been missing in the last two games.

1:00 PM: Nice quarterback keeper by Hogan. He made two would-be tackler miss to pick up 5 yards. Third-and-1.

12:59 PM: Running back Anthony Wilkerson gets his number called for the first time today. Run to the left picks up three yards. Second-and-7.

12:57 PM: Kodi Whitfield has nowhere to go on the punt return and actually loses three yards. Stanford will start at is own 12-yard line. The game is scoreless with 5:42 left in the first quarter.

12:57 PM: Nice move by Hundley in the pocket to get out of trouble, but his pass towards the sidelines falls incomplete. Bruins follows suit with a three-and-out. Both defenses have held up their end of the bargain early on.

12:56 PM: Hundley’s pass down the middle of the field isn’t with 5 yards of anyone. Third-and-12.

12:56 PM: Shayne Skov stops Bruins running back Paul Perkins for a gain of three.

12:55 PM: False start penalty backs them up 5 yards. First-and-15.

12:54 PM: Bruins will start at their own 36-yard line.

12:51 PM: On third-and-5, Stanford runs the zone-read option with Ricky Seale, but he’s taken down before the first down marker. Hogan could’ve tucked it, but neither he nor Seale had much room to work with. So after Montgomery drops what would’ve been a 50-yard touchdown, Stanford goes three-and-out on its next possession. Play was there, just poor execution by the Cardinal in the early going.

12:50 PM: Hogan gets heavy pressure from the Bruins defensive line. Throws it to Barry J. Sanders on the inside screen, but it’s incomplete.

12:49 PM: We’re about halfway through the first quarter and Stanford will set up shop at its own 20-yard line for its second drive of the game.

12:48 PM: The Bruins offense ran some pretty vanilla plays on its first drive. Not a lot of pre-snap motion or adjustments and no jet sweeps, so they might’ve just been testing out the water.

12:47 PM: Hundley’s pass is a bit overthrown, and the Cardinal will get the ball back.

12:46 PM: Short completion brings up third-and-6.

12:45 PM: Bruins pick up 5 yard to convert third-and-1. Out to the their own 38-yard line. Bruins seeing some success running to the outside against the Cardinal defense in the early going.

12:42 PM: After being pinned deep in their own territory, the Bruins get a nice run out to the 25-yard run.

12:42 PM: UCLA defense blows up the play and forces Hogan to make a shovel pass to Gaffney. Pass is incomplete though, and Ben Rhyne will come out to punt.

12:42 PM: Hogan finds Jackson Cummings for 7 yards. First reception by Cummings this season. Third-and-3.

12:41 PM: Off the play action, Hogan launches a deep ball. Montgomery was open, but basically drops the ball. Rare drop by Montgomery this season. Big opportunity missed there.

12:40 PM: Gaffney picks up the first down with a 4-yard run.

12:39 PM: Hogan drops back to pass for the first time today. Nowhere to throw the ball to, so he scrambles ahead for 6 yards. Nice heads-up play by Hogan to roll out to his right instead of running straight up the middle.

12:38 PM: No Spider Y Bannana or pass play this time. Power straight up the middle. Three-yard pickup moves the chains. Stanford at its own 39-yard line now.

12:37 PM: Six more yards for Gaffney on another carry. Third-and-1 coming up. Let’s see what the coaching staff dials up on the first third-and-short situation of the day.

12:37 PM: Stanford runs power with halfback Tyler Gaffney on the first play of the game. Gain of 3.

12:36 PM: Wary of the dangerous Ty Montgomery, UCLA squib kicks. Montgomery brings it out to the Cardinal’s own 26-yard line.

12:36 PM: …And we’re off!

12:35 PM: The stadium is nowhere full for today’s Homecoming game, but fans are still trickling in.

12:34 PM: Stanford won the toss and has elected to receive.

12:33 PM: The Cardinal captains are at midfield for the coin toss. Former offensive lineman coach Chris Dalman is the honorary captain.

12:32 PM: The loss of Williamson is a tough blow, but the coaching staff has expressed confidence in Ukropina’s leg throughout the week.

12:30 PM: Key injury updates: Kicker Jordan Williamson is out with a hamstring injury, so sophomore Conrad Ukropina will be making his college debut today. Safety Zach Hoffpauir is also out while defensive linemen Henry Anderson and Ikenna Nwafor remain sidelined.

12:26 PM: We’re 10 minutes away from kickoff.

12:20 PM: It’s also the 50th anniversary of the creation of the modern Leland Stanford University Marching Band after the 1963 Band Strike. About 700 bund alumni registered to take the field with the current band. Not sure if there are 700 people performing on the field in the pre-game show right now, but it’s certainly an impressive sight to see so many band alumni back.

12:10 PM: And of course, there is Brett Hundley, the slippery Bruins quarterback, to worry about. No one doubted Hundley’s playmaking abilities last year, but so far in 2013, he’s shown to be an even better passer. Both his completion percentage and touchdown-to-interception ratio have improved. Still, the Cardinal defense will need to force him to stay in the pocket and throw the ball. If Stanford gives Hundley any running lanes, he’ll be gone in a second.

12:00 PM: Remember, UCLA used those same jet sweeps against the Cardinal in the Pac-12 Championship Game last year, and it worked well, especially early in the game. There’s no reason to expect that the Bruins won’t use that tactic again today, at least until Stanford proves that it can stop it.

11:55 AM: I think many Stanford fans were surprised to see the Cardinal give up 27 points to Utah last weekend. But the manner in which the Utes put up those points on Stanford was the most shocking: Utah gashed the Cardinal over and over again with jet sweeps and the zone-read option. Stanford had no answer for those quick bubble screens until the fourth quarter, and even then, it was more because Utah became conservative on offense.

11:50 AM: It’s the Cardinal’s homecoming game, but more importantly, it’s Stanford’s must-win game. Stanford has to beat the Bruins today if it wants to keep its hopes of repeating as Pac-12 champions (much less have a slim chance of playing for the national title). It’s hard to picture Oregon losing two Pac-12 games given how they’ve been blowing out every team on their schedule, so the Cardinal certainly cannot afford to drop to 3-2 in conference play.

11:45 AM: In the meantime, you can check out our extensive coverage of Stanford football throughout the week; our game preview, our sports editor Sam Fisher’s what-to-watch-for column, our back-and-forth with Daily Bruin senior sports writer Andrew Erickson, game predictions, our “moving forward” feature and our Wednesday roundtable discussion.

11:40 AM: The big question today is whether the Cardinal can bounce back from its tough 27-21 loss to Utah last Saturday, when quarterback Kevin Hogan and company failed to punch it in from 6 yards out. In what was the most controversial play call of the game, the Cardinal dialed up a pass play instead of running the ball out of the jumbo package. Hogan actually had the choice of handing the ball off to fullback Ryan Hewitt or throwing to him on a Spider 3 Y Banana, but many have criticized head coach David Shaw for not sticking to the running game, Stanford’s bread-and-butter on offense.

11:30 AM: Good afternoon and thank you for joining us on this Saturday afternoon as No. 13 Stanford and No. 9 UCLA square off in a big conference showdown today. We’re about an hour away from kickoff.